Meet Arielle Holloway | Photographer & Social Worker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Arielle Holloway and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arielle, what do you attribute your success to?
I think I’m successful for several different reasons. I have always had a passion for photography, but the passion alone wasn’t always enough. I’m a die hard Kobe Bryant fan, so throughout the years, I’ve modeled my work ethic after his. I tell myself, “Kobe didn’t do anything halfway or lukewarm so why should I?”, and I incorporate his Mamba Mentality into my everyday life. I even have it tattooed as a daily reminder. That mindset and work ethic is what got me to where I am today.

Besides Kobe, I attribute the majority of my success to the people I have on my team. First and foremost, all glory and honor and praise goes to God. I know I wouldn’t have any of this without him. Next is Bryan Dean, owner of LXL Media. He brought me on to his team, when I had no experience, with open arms and has taught me so much about this industry. He’s set me up with countless different opportunities and connected me with some major players in the game and in our city. He pushes me daily to be better than my last piece of work and to keep elevating my knowledge and understanding of the industry. There is no Scoot Took It without him. My brother, Jordan Floyd, was the first person to step in front of my camera and encourage me to take photography seriously. Every other creator that I’m close with who has given me advice and lended a helping hand. It’s all appreciated. My partner supports me tremendously in ways that are immeasurable and is always understanding of my work and what I do. My bestfriends and my family have supported me from day one. I just have an amazing group of people surrounding me who all will do whatever it takes to see me shine. That’s all I could ever ask for.

I live by the motto of “It’s just work.” All the full days capturing content, the long editing sessions, the highs, the lows, the deals, the connections, the fun, the stress, the lessons. All of it is just work. It’s all apart of what comes with being in this industry. It’s all going to work together for your good and better you as a creative and as a person, so do what you can to make it as fun as possible everyday you create.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a sports photographer based out of Atlanta, GA. To me, what sets my work apart from others is my style of shooting. I like for my work to give you the feeling that you’re sitting court side and seeing all of this for yourself. I also like to shoot more portrait type shots than action shots. I strive to tell a story with every photo, and for me, that’s less about the action and more about what lead up to it. To others, what set my work apart is my black and white work. I enjoy shooting black and white because I’m all about story telling, and black and white photos just tell the story differently. Those photos are always received well and get a lot of love from clients and social media.

I got here today with the help of God and my team. They always push me and connect me with people and organizations that push me to purpose. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but I wouldn’t say it was super hard either. It wasn’t easy because even when you have a master class level team like mine, all they can do is open the door. I still had to prove to everyone that I was competent and capable and that what I was selling was worth spending money on. It wasn’t hard because I came into the industry with connections. With my brother being a professional athlete, he knew a ton of people and he is the one who introduced me to my mentor. I was privileged to come in with a team who was ready and willing to open the door for me and let me go to work.

Through every challenge I’ve faced, I’ve been able to lean on my team for help and support. The most challenging part about this industry, for me, has been the financial piece. When I first started, I was funding myself. I had a terrible camera and two terrible lenses. I didn’t have the money to upgrade at the time, so I just did with that I had. It was difficult and discouraging at times because I knew my work was good, I just didn’t have the resources to bring my visions to life. Same happens with projects. Finding investors who are willing to front a large budget is difficult.

I’ve faced several challenges which has taught me several lessons. I started off with very low budget photo equipment. Now, I own one of my dream cameras and some of my dream lenses. I never thought I’d be able to do that, but you just have to stay down. That’s probably one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned so far. Stay down for your come up. It’s not easy breaking into this industry. It’s not easy finding your niche and building a team, but it’s all definitely possible. Patience is the key.

Another lesson I’ve learned would be to keep growing. Never stop learning. Once you do, you become stagnant and it’s evident in the work. Keep pushing the boundaries creatively. That’s what is going to set your work apart from everyone else’s. Stagnancy leads to stale work which leads to less bread and less opportunities. I’d also say to never stop doing passion projects. It’s very easy to get consumed in projects you’re getting paid for, but if all you’re focused on is the money, you’re going to burn out quick. Passion projects keep you grounded creatively. They are good reminders of why you chose to become a creator.

I’ve also learned that it’s super important to have a team. You will not succeed in this industry without a team of people you truly trust. People you can rely on who always have your best interest at heart. Lastly, I’d say network, network, network. Take advantage of your contacts and make them work for you. There’s more money and more opportunity in the network. Don’t be afraid to connect with other creatives and ask questions. You never know who knows who and how knowing them can benefit you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hmmm, I don’t really go out in the city much. I’m a homebody and I love it. There are a few places that I love though. The first stop would definitely be Busy Bee Cafe out in the West End. That is my absolute favorite soul food spot in the city. I’ve been eating there since I was a kid, so I make sure I take everyone there when they come to visit. We’re also definitely going to Waffle House. It’s a must. Especially if it’s their first time in the city. I’d also hit Atlanta Breakfast Club and Roc South Cuisine for brunch. Fletcher’s at South Dekalb and JJ’s Fish and Chicken for lunch on the east side.

Another place I like to go is Starlight Drive In Theatre. I love movies and I love going to the movies. Starlight is a staple in the community so we’d definitely check that out, and it’s not far from Little 5 Points, so we could do some shopping before catching the flick.

The Trap Music Museum is another place on my list. I love music and I grew up in the era of trap music dominating the radio. I’m from the city, so rappers like TI, Gucci Mane, and Jeezy played a big part in my childhood. The museum is a cool, fun place to learn more about the culture of the city and hip hop culture. Plus, they’re always changing the stuff inside, so it’s like a new experience every time.

It may sound crazy, but I’m definitely stopping by a strip club before the end of their trip. I feel like strip clubs are a major part of Atlanta culture, so I’d have to expose my friend to that part of the city. Plus, everybody knows the strip club is one of the best places to go for good wings and great music. If they prefer regular clubs then I would probably take them to Edgewood. Only because there are plenty of places to choose from. Whether they’re looking for hookah or a bar or both, they’re bound to find a place they like.

I’d probably end the trip with a solid vibe at Ponce City Market. The rooftop is pretty cool and there’s a ton of fun stuff to do.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to my mentor and OG, Bryan Dean. You already know without you none of this is possible. Thank you for it all. Let’s keep going. LXL 4 Life.

Shoutout to my brother Jordan Floyd for the endless motivation and giving me my first opportunity and for all the ones that came after that. You saw the vision before I did. I can’t thank you enough.

Shoutout to Jah the CEO and the whole AEBL crew for trusting me to be the official photographer of the league. We took over the summer and it was unforgettable. Thank you.

Shoutout to my partner, Celecia. Thank you for being so understanding and endlessly supportive of my work. You give me 1000% all the time. Even when I can’t always give it back. I love you for that. 626!

Shoutout to my bestfriends Jared, Kori, Kristen, and Ali for always helping me out when I need it and supporting the dream from day one without hesitation. The rest of the gang too! Kayla, Tot, and Kaylan ya’ll support means the world.

Shoutout to my mom & my nana for educating me on how business is supposed to be done. I didn’t know anything about entrepreneurship and you all took the time to teach me what I needed to know and make sure I wasn’t being taken advantage of. Plus all the love ya’ll show all the time is out of this world. Thank you.

Lastly, shoutout to Charles Earls and the Rehoboth crew for letting me come in the gym every single night and practice my craft with ya’ll. Ya’ll pushed me every time to get better and always hyped me up. We locked in forever.

Website: https://www.scoottookit.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scoottookit/

Image Credits
Arielle Holloway (Scoot Took It)